The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for transporting empty bobbin tubes through a channel member to a bobbin supply and withdrawing station. The device is adapted to be used in open-end spinning, winding, yarn texturing and similar machines having a plurality of separate working units. The device includes a transporting or travelling member which is adapted to automatically exchange bobbins. The empty bobbins are adapted to be conveyed along a channel which is disposed longitudinally along the textile machine and includes means for transporting the empty bobbins along the channel.
Open-end spinning, winding, yarn texturing and similar machines generally include a plurality of working units which are arranged side-by-side and are provided with a transporting member which is adapted to automatically exchange bobbins.
There are already known a number of devices for supplying the individual working units of the textile machine with empty bobbins.
In such an arrangement of the state of the art, the transporting device includes a bulky and cumbersome bobbin tube magazine which moves jointly with the device. This arrangement of the state of the art has the drawback of being quite large and of complex construction and, therefore, costly.
Also forming part of the state of the art is an arrangement which has a stationary tubular magazine mounted on each working unit. These magazines have to be re-filled periodically with empty tubes by the machine operator. This known arrangement has similar drawbacks as the arrangement described above.
There is also known a somewhat simpler arrangement for conveying bobbin tubes to a supply and withdrawing station for individual working units of a textile machine of the afore-described character. In this known arrangement, the bobbin tubes are arranged in an end-to-end column formation and this formation is axially moved through a channel by conveying means.
This known arrangement is advantageous because of its relative simplicity and operational reliability. However, it has not been found to be reliable for an automatic bobbin exchange operation because the length of the tube differs from the working unit distance pitch. Therefore, it is necessary for a machine operator to manually subsequently place an empty bobbin tube opposite the supply and withdrawing station of the respective working unit.
It is furthermore known to supply and convey empty bobbin tubes along a channel by means of an endless toothed chain or belt. The spacing between two adjacent teeth of the chain correspond to the working unit pitch (distance). The chain or belt is moved step-by-step so that the individual teeth always stop opposite the withdrawing and supply station of the working units.
The aforedescribed arrangement is, however, quite complex and expensive and is also subject to frequent malfunction.